How do students from Student Incubators (SI) use networks and how can SI support the activity?

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Abstract

This paper examines Student Entrepreneur’s (SE) use of networks as part of their activities in a Student
Incubator (SI). Recommendations are made as to how SI can create activities to support students' use of internal and external relationships and discusses the paradox between running a learning driven incubator compared to a more traditional result-driven (BI). Previous research emphasizes that interaction with external parties has a fundamental positive impact on entrepreneurial operations and development (Witt, 2004), (Warren, 2009). This importance cannot be underestimated when the attention is on SEs because students are likely to have a smaller (in size), less well-founded and limited professional network. In addition, an SI is assumed to be characterized by “limitations” related to their student status.
So far none has paid any attention to how SEs "compensate for" and/or develop relevant internal and external relationships and how SI supports an appropriate project and business development process with these assumptions and “limitations” in mind. To investigate this, a series of qualitative interviews with SEs are conducted, with an emphasis on the use of relationships in an entrepreneurial context.
Often the increasing attention to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial processes will probably emphasise growth and development environments (e.g. SIs) at educational institutions. An aspect which is currently not given much attention but which have considerable influence on both learning and "performance" (revenues, survival rate, growth) of the SE.
Original languageDanish
Title of host publicationConference Proceedings 1st European Networking Conference on Entrepreneurship Education
Number of pages11
PublisherVIA University College
Publication date2015
Pages83-94
ISBN (Electronic)9788799365630
Publication statusPublished - 2015

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